


as the norse gods do

by cartoonmoomba



Series: I walked around the world until I found my gravestone [16]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: AU: WoL, Gen, Humour, OC: Lieal Fhey - Freeform, my WoL
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-01-08
Packaged: 2019-03-02 00:06:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13306194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cartoonmoomba/pseuds/cartoonmoomba
Summary: She watched as Cid cast about for the elezen man, growing more frustrated by the second, before attempting to get the last dredges of his drink from the bottom of his mug. A grin of amusement tugged at her lips at the satisfied sound the white haired Garlean made upon succeeding, reaching up to wipe at his mouth while the hand holding the drink—“ANOTHER!”—smashed it right into the tavern floor.Lieal’s grin dropped..A drunk Cid and a not-as-drunk Lieal on a night out in Ishgard.





	as the norse gods do

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a short conversation me and [@sleepsfuriously](http://sleepsfuriously.tumblr.com/) had about Cid drinking.

The night had started out simple enough: another level of the Deltascape had been bested and as such, the party had decided to convene the following night at the haunt of The Forgotten Knight. The decided upon location had partially due to a prototype gun the Skysteel Manufactory had requested the Ironworks’ professional assessment on, and partially because Lieal was only too happy to receive free food, drink and board from the proprietor.

What was _not_ a boon in this situation, Lieal decided, was Nero’s sprawled presence in the chair next to her, one arm laid out over the back of hers as he sneered at the sight before them.  “Just so you are aware,” his voice drawled out through the pleasant haze of alcohol clouding her mind, “I blame you _entirely_ for this, Warrior of Light.”

The miqo’te rolled her eyes and, in retaliation, reached for the half empty glass before the Garlean. “Say it louder for the people in the back,” she snapped out, self-consciously reaching up with her other hand to make sure the fabric of her hood – inconspicuous for a place such as the Knight – remained tight over her tell-tale pale hair. “I don’t think they heard you.”

She hissed when the man reached out and slapped at her knuckles still wrapped around his beverage. “Paws off, Warrior,” he grunted and reached out to grab the glass and finish it in one swig.

“I am sure there is no need to worry,” Tataru, visiting on Scion business from Kugane, chimed in from Lieal’s other side. The lalafell delicately sipped her own drink, a grimace on her face that Lieal could only attribute to over exposure to eastern drinks – Tataru had been the first one to finish her spirits during their nights out prior to the climax of the Dragonsong War. Briefly, Lieal lamented the lacking presence of Alphinaud – the boy could _not_ hold his drink, whatsoever. It had been some of the best entertainment she had ever witnessed.

Alisaie, on the other hand…

Across from her, snapping her out of her reverie, Cid let out a bellowing laugh.

Lieal was not certain about what was so hilarious, but, well – the man _was_ soused.

“He never could hold his drink all that well,” Nero remarked, watching as Cid turned around to motion to Gibrillont for another tankard. “But this, Warrior? This is on a whole new level.”

Unable to stop herself, Lieal let out a giggle. “ _Ha,_ level… Because, Deltascape…?” She trailed off at the sheer look of disgust the blond man sent her. “Nevermind…”

She was not quite on Cid’s _level_ yet – and she had no desire to be – but she was no longer quite sober, either. She wasn’t sure she could endure Nero’s presence so casually beside her if she was.

She watched as Cid cast about for the elezen man, growing more frustrated by the second, before attempting to get the last dredges of his drink from the bottom of his mug. A grin of amusement tugged at her lips at the satisfied sound the white haired Garlean made upon succeeding, reaching up to wipe at his mouth while the hand holding the drink—

“ANOTHER!”

—smashed it right into the tavern floor.

Lieal’s grin dropped.

The tavern fell into a complete silence.

Nero let out an adequately appropriate curse beside her.

“Um,” she ventured, catching Gibrillont’s unimpressed gaze from across the room behind Cid and subtly shaking her head. “I daresay it is time for us to leave, Cid.”

“Leave, my friend?” Cid’s booming laugh echoed around the small tavern, where Lieal swore every Ishgardian _and_ adventurer was silently judging them with steely stares. “Why, we just got here! We have cause to celebrate! The night has just begun!” He turned in his seat, still seeking out Gibrillont, and Tataru frantically waved her hands in a universal motion at the proprietor before jumping off and beginning to gather the mostly whole tankard off the floor.

“I agree with Lieal, Cid.” The lalafell laid the tankard before the Garlean and gazed up at him, her face stern. “You have a long day tomorrow, and Biggs and Wedge have already left to turn in. You don’t mean to disappoint them, do you?”

The glare she shot the Warrior out of the corners of her eyes was telling: _get this man out of here, or they will never let him in to the Skysteel and you will be forced to deal with a drunken Cid for the entirety of the cold, Ishgardian night._

Well, at least that is what Lieal took away from it.

“I will cover the tab,” Tataru remarked, her voice turning sweet as she turned her attention to the miqo’te and Nero beside her, studiously pretending her was not part of the show at the centre of the entire tavern. “ _This time_.”

“Come on, Cid!” Lieal tried to go for cheery as she got to her feet and went over to help heft Cid to his. “A nice, long walk will do you good. Up we get.”

“Well,” the man frowned, leaning heavily on the smaller girl – Nero continued to avoid her glare for assistance – as the two made their way out. “I suppose you’re right. It is a busy day tomorrow, after all.”

 _I am so sorry,_ Lieal mouthed to Gibrillont on their way up the stairs until finally, the cold night greeted them with a burst of frigid air and snowfall. Unable to help the instinctive shudder, she pressed closer to Cid’s weight beside her as the man’s body worked overtime to heat itself and rid his system of the alcohol. The two set off at a slow pace towards the Skysteel, where Cid was residing alongside the rest of the Ironworks crew.

 _It’s only on the other side of the city,_ Lieal thought to herself with a grimace. _It could be worse. We could have made plans to fly out tonight, and that would have been a whole other nightmare._

“Have I ever told you, my friend,” Cid began loudly, ignorant of the stares the two drew from the few Ishgardians – primarily the guards – roaming the dark streets of the city, “How positively glad I am to have met you?”

The gloom of her situation lessened somewhat at her friend’s kind-hearted words, and Lieal allowed herself to once again be amused at Cid’s state. Gods, she had never seen the man be less in control of himself than now. It was a surprising change from his typical demeanour.

“I don’t believe you have,” she teased back, grinning. “But feel free to continue.”

She could feel Cid’s chuckle reverberate in his chest from how closely he leaned against her. “I cannot even begin to explain all the impact you have had on my life, my dear. I am certain you are more than aware of what you have done for all of Eorzea, but I hope you stop and consider your impact on the lives who consider you ‘friend’, as well.”

The miqo’te’s cheeks flushed red at the words, having not expected his praise to be so wholehearted. “Thank you,” she replied in a milder tone of voice, somewhat embarrassed. “Your words mean a lot to me.” And they _did_ – she was the Warrior to more people than not, and the more she did for Eorzea, the harder it was to find true friendship. Even within the Scions she occasionally felt more _Warrior_ than _Lieal_ , but that had never been the case with Cid, and to a lesser extent, the rest of his team.

The remainder of their trek passed in silence, though she could not tell if it was enough to sober up her companion. Likely not – he had begun humming loudly halfway through, drawing even more stares, and Lieal deigned herself to the judgement with a sigh.  

The fountain of Saint Renette Forum was a happy sight to behold, once they finally did – and the brazier by the Skysteel’s hanging sign even more so. Lieal was not sure what it was about spending the night at the Manufactory’s floors that appealed to the group over the actual beds of Cloud Nine, but who was she to judge? She still occasionally opted for the inn over the welcoming warmth of Fortemps Manor for various, personal reasons.

“Here we are,” she muttered, shifting her's and Cid’s dead weight around to knock on the wooden doors of the building. “You’ll be nice and warm and asleep in just a moment, Cid. I’ll be sure to ask someone to keep a jug of water near you for the night.”

“How kind of you!” Cid’s laugh was once again louder than his typical voice, and Lieal wondered if it was enough to wake those inside over the noise of the machines working through the night. “You are truly a marvel, Lieal. A _marvel_.”

His weight at her shoulders disappeared and, confused, she half turned to gaze up at him. “Are you feeling better now?” She asked.

“I feel wonderful,” her friend grinned, placing his gloved hands on her shoulders and leaning in for an embrace. “I do very much love you, my dear. I hope you know that.”

“Um,” Lieal squeaked, ears pinned back in surprise. “That’s… very kind of you to say?” Her sobriety was quickly approaching and she was in no mood to deliberate on whether the man meant platonically or romantically at this time of night.

Cid’s breath warmed the top of her head as he laughed once more, quietly. “Yes, I suppose they are kind words.”

He stepped back and Lieal caught a brief glimpse of his wide smile before the doors to the Skysteel swung open and Wedge came into view, woollen robe thrown over his sleeping clothes. “Took you long enough,” he grouched, motioning for Cid to come in. He grew more awake when the man boomed out one last laugh and staggered inside, reaching out with one hand to catch himself on the nearest wall.

“How much did you let him drink?” Wedge turned an accusing gaze onto the miqo’te, who just shrugged and brought her hands up before her.

“Don’t blame me,” she replied. “Make sure he has some water.”

Wedge grunted his acknowledgement and moved to shut the doors once again. Lieal stood staring at them for a brief moment before, realizing what she was doing, shook her head and began making her way to Fortemps Manor. She needed some warmth and comfort after that embarrassment of a night.

.

.

“Nero tells me I made quite the spectacle of myself last night.”

Glancing from a tome she had borrowed from the Astrologicum, Lieal quirked a smile at Cid as he stood before her, awkwardly rubbing at the back of his neck. “It was probably more entertaining for us than for the patrons of the Knight, yes.”

The Garlean let out an embarrassed groan and ran a hand over his face. “That is comforting to know.” He shifted on his feet, an unsure movement that drew a raised eyebrow of surprise from Lieal, before opening his mouth again. “Tell me, my friend, did I say anything… unbecoming of me while you escorted me home?”

“Well…” Lieal drew out the word, tapping at the cover of her book as she built suspense for the sake of her own amusement. “All I can say is… you certainly did not proclaim how much you love me, Cid. _Not at all_.” She grinned as the man’s face quickly went from an embarrassed flush to a mortified pale. “It was very flattering, _my dear_.”

“ _Gods take me,”_ Cid muttered, bringing his hands to hide his face in.

Lieal snickered.

 

 


End file.
